What It Means When You Dream About Fashion

We've all done it: rolled over, sleep dust cornering our eyelids, eager to recount last night's dream before our voice even finds its footing. We want to talk about the bizarre things we saw, to analyze them. But what about when we dream of mundane things? Should we dismiss them since they don't make quite the same pillow talk as those part-unicorn, part-Cameron Diaz hybrids?

Well, no. As dream expert Lauri Loewenberg attests, the everyday motifs we see in our dreams—roads, lakes, teeth, books—are just as important, if not more, than the amazingly unique ones. In the lawless, Wild West landscape of the dream world, it's these familiar images that experts can actually lasso, track, and study, illuminating the deeper meaning behind them in the process.

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And as it turns out, clothing is one of the most frequent themes to pop up in our subconscious. According to Loewenberg, author of Dream On It: Unlock Your Dreams, Change Your Life, there's a rhyme and reason to the wardrobe we see while we sleep. Below, her guide to decoding the most common fashion, accessory and clothing-related issues in our dreams:

Susana J. Toledo

Photo: Susana J. Toledo

Shoes

Shoes represent confidence. If you find your subconscious self wobbling around missing a stiletto, it may be a sign you're feeling vulnerable. But if you've got visions of yourself planted firmly in a pair of chunky platforms, it could reflect your real life sure-footedness.

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Lingerie

Dreaming of yourself in a state of undress tends to be your mind's way of manifesting insecurities—but deeper, emotional insecurities, not just physical ones.

Donald Iain Smith

Photo: Donald Iain Smith

Ripped Clothes

Seeing ripped clothing in your dreams usually signals that you're going through grief or other stressful moments. If you're picturing yourself in tattered Levi's, it's typically bad news—no matter how great your dream self looks in that distressed denim.

Earrings

To the dreaming mind, the earring isn't about embellishment, it's about your ability to listen to others. It's very common to lose an earring in a dream, a good indication you're refusing to listen to someone else's point of view or you aren't truly hearing what they're trying to tell you.

Adrianna Williams

Photo: Adrianna Williams

Sunglasses

In dreams, sunglasses symbolize your desire to turn a blind eye towards an unwanted truth. If your constantly dreaming of yourself in your Ray-Bans, you may want to take a deeper inventory of your life.

Purses

We keep our money, our IDs and credit cards safe within our purses and handbag, so in a dream, they represent our sense of self-worth, our credibility and our identity. Losing your purse or having it stolen in a dream suggests you may be going through a bit of an identity crisis, feeling worthless or even that you are not getting the credit that you deserve. On the other hand, if you are carrying an awesome bag—a Mulberry tote or McQueen minaudiere—it indicates you are feeling secure and even proud in who you are.

Stains and Spills

Searching for a Tide pen in your subconscious signals that your waking mind is feeling guilty and eager to clean up a mess.

Prints

Prints and patterns represent consistency, so if you dream of plaids and polka dots, you're probably feeling confident in your sense of style and your ability to express yourself.

Floresco Productions

Photo: Floresco Productions

Shopping

Your mind's trying to tell you that your options are endless, from new love interests to career advances. In our dreams, shopping's a good thing—just like in real life.